Bestiary
- compendium of beasts. Popular in the Middle Ages
in illustrated volumes that described various creatures.
The illustration of each beast was usually accompanied
by a moral lesson. This reflected the belief that
the world itself was the Word of God, and that every
living thing had its own special meaning.
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BESTIAIRE
As
in any important body of work, the paintings of Soly
Cissé are not just "beautiful", "well
crafted" or "pleasant". In fact, they
bring us back to the essential, back to the very essence
of existence, of desire, of madness, of Death (Death
is always there, in ambush). The sometimes scarcely
sketched figures, the quick brushstroke, the nervous
but sure gesture are sufficient to tell the essential.
There
is an astonishing effect in Soly Cissé. As
if his "personnages" had been taken by the
whitish flash of death. The backdrop is set. Black.
Implacable. It is against this infinite space that
will briefly march on parade, the wanderers , the
returning ones, the survivors. Figures, graphs, codes,
all seem to testify the official report.
X-rays
of a flagrant offence of excess of life, of intensity,
of flesh, all this passes before our eyes and balances
itself within the strict space of the canvas, in a
strict time interval, always against this black, powerful
, omnipresent background. The infinite is the measure
of all things.
Soly Cissé frees his ghosts, takes them out
for a joyful walk with his animals of (bad) company.
Just a brief, restless, dynamic dance. They do not
bite. Beauty comes to the relief of the powerful souls.
Soly
presents this feature film, both funny and tragic,
with the kindness of someone who has seen, far under
the skin, under the mask, the tragic commotion, the
boiling lava.
One
day, for sure, we will awaken from this life where
we have become less, well less than ghosts. Ghosts
and phantoms transformed in turbulent and dynamic
fictions. It is urgent to do the Art before Death.
To do work before she comes.
Olivier
Sultan
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'BESTIAIRE'
SOLY CISSÉ
solo show
12 November > 17 December 2011
Thursday to Saturday, 14 h to 18 h
